Ranking every position on the Cowboys from worst to first
By Ali Jawad
1. Defensive Line
It has to be a no-brainer. This group is talented, deep, and scary. The unit is among the best in the league and the team's strength.
With players such as Demarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, Dante Fowler, Mazi Smith, this year's first-round pick, and more, this group is a force to be reckoned with and a nightmare for offensive lines.
Starting off the edge, the Cowboys have plenty to rely on and rotate through with guys like Lawrence, Fowler, Williams, and Dorance Armstrong. The Cowboys also added Viliami Fehoko in the draft and brought back Takkairst McKinely, while Parsons plays most of his snaps on the DL.
In the middle, Dallas has to feel good about Odighizuwa, who, according to PFF, registered four sacks, 31 pressures, and 27 tackles in 2022. Veteran Johnathan Hankins is back on a one-year deal, and to sure up things up front, the team spent their first-round selection on Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, an athletic freak who can command double teams and help improve the run defense.
Just how good is this defensive line? According to Stat Muse, the line accounted for 30.5 of the 54 sacks put up by the defense, which was seventh-best in the league, with nine forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries, both of which were best in the league.
While the run defense needs improvement, there is no question that this unit has uplifted the Cowboys' defense each of the last two seasons.